1. Field of the Invention
With reference to the classification of art as established in the United States Patent Office the present invention is found in the general Class entitled, "Surgery" (Class 128) and in the subclass entitled, "tweezers" (subclass 354). Applicable art is also found in the Class entitled, "Cutlery" (Class 30) and in the subclass thereunder entitled, "razors-combined with means to lift hair or skin" (subclass 34.2).
2. Description of the Prior Art
The removal of stitches from incisions is generally performed by a doctor and/or medical assistant. The sutures are generally cut and removed by the use of special sissors and forceps or tweezers by which the cut suture may be grasped and pulled from the healed incision. The present invention has for this purpose an apparatus and method which provides an inexpensive improvement for the cutting and removal of sutures. The present invention contemplates an inexpensive cutter constructed of wire with an end of the wire curved and formed to provide a finger gripping and manipulative portion. This wire-like suture cutting device is made of low carbon steel. This cutter is used with a given length of adhesive gauze or the like. The suture cutter and the gauze are both inexpensive and it is proposed and contemplated that these will be discarded after use. This wire-like cutter, although it has a sharp edge sufficient for cutting several sutures, is not contemplated to have a sustaining sharp edge as the cutter will be discarded after this one use.
An attempt to provide a combination suture cutter and remover is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,846 as issued on Apr. 29, 1975 to ALLEN, JR. which provides a combination implement for cutting and removing surgical sutures consisting of a portion forming a forceps and a longitudinal suture cutting element extending between the arms of the forceps and anchored to one arm and the bight of the forceps body. This device requires a tweezer grasping action to lift and pull the suture. The very low profile cutting blade of this application with its immediate severing action is not shown in this or other known prior art. The sliding cut employed by this cutter minimizes the effort to cut the sutures and the tape used to lift and remove the cut sutures is easily manipulated.